Can you change Mac OS X visual styles?

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LeonardoIannelliRETRIEVES
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Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2016 2:12 am

Can you change Mac OS X visual styles?

Post by LeonardoIannelliRETRIEVES »

Today I was playing around with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard build 9A410. The build is the first to introduce the new visual style that would be present in the final release of Leopard. This made me wonder: Could you modify Mac OS X's files to change how the visual style looks? Maybe you could make 10.9 Mavericks look like 10.0 Cheetah? What files need to be modified, and how do you modify them? Are there image templates for the visual style like Windows XP, Vista, and 7 have? Or is the visual style specified via parameters that tell OS X how to draw it from scratch? Ideally I'd like something that could work on any version of Mac OS X up to at least 10.9, but I'd appreciate it if it could be done with later versions as well.
~Leonardo I.

[insert Uncle Sam here]
I want you to leak Windows :beta: builds!

I know they said no username changes, but I doxxed myself with my username back when I was stupid. Don't do that, kids. Please let me change my username, it's for my own good. -Leo

                                                                                                          Windows 8 Beta
For testing purposes only. Build 8176.fbl_core2_sid_dev120104-2026.6d8ec67b25e74be5

Crosma
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2016 11:36 am

Re: Can you change Mac OS X visual styles?

Post by Crosma »

There used to be loads of themes flying around years ago - some needed special apps, and some did not. SIP is why there aren't many now.

OS X theme apps:

https://macintoshgarden.org/apps/themepark - https://www.geekspiff.com/software/themepark.1.html

https://macintoshgarden.org/apps/unsanity-shapeshifter

Magnifique is difficult to find online, but it's in this ZIP file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2939gvztnpmxs ... e.zip?dl=0

http://flavours.interacto.net/

LeonardoIannelliRETRIEVES
Posts: 50
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2016 2:12 am

Re: Can you change Mac OS X visual styles?

Post by LeonardoIannelliRETRIEVES »

Crosma wrote:
Fri May 07, 2021 4:42 pm
There used to be loads of themes flying around years ago - some needed special apps, and some did not. SIP is why there aren't many now.

OS X theme apps:

https://macintoshgarden.org/apps/themepark - https://www.geekspiff.com/software/themepark.1.html

https://macintoshgarden.org/apps/unsanity-shapeshifter

Magnifique is difficult to find online, but it's in this ZIP file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2939gvztnpmxs ... e.zip?dl=0

http://flavours.interacto.net/
Cool, I'll try those out. Is it possible to change visual styles in later versions by disabling SIP?
~Leonardo I.

[insert Uncle Sam here]
I want you to leak Windows :beta: builds!

I know they said no username changes, but I doxxed myself with my username back when I was stupid. Don't do that, kids. Please let me change my username, it's for my own good. -Leo

                                                                                                          Windows 8 Beta
For testing purposes only. Build 8176.fbl_core2_sid_dev120104-2026.6d8ec67b25e74be5

Crosma
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2016 11:36 am

Re: Can you change Mac OS X visual styles?

Post by Crosma »

LeonardoIannelliRETRIEVES wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 1:31 am
Is it possible to change visual styles in later versions by disabling SIP?
Theoretically, but you'll need to find themes that are compatible with the newer versions. Installing themes on OS X versions they weren't designed for isn't going to work. I haven't been able to find many newer themes.

I did manage to find a Mavericks theme for Mojave here: https://github.com/MoonPadUSer/macOSMavericksTheme

BloxmineXL
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Posts: 52
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2014 2:45 pm

Re: Can you change Mac OS X visual styles?

Post by BloxmineXL »

Flavours used to be a really good piece of software. It’s still available for purchase but be warned that you should get the “Classic” version which works up to Mavericks. There are plenty of high quality themes which mimic older versions of OS X but I believe there just isn’t a good way to skin Mac OS without using software like you could in Windows.
:idea:

LeonardoIannelliRETRIEVES
Posts: 50
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2016 2:12 am

Re: Can you change Mac OS X visual styles?

Post by LeonardoIannelliRETRIEVES »

Does anyone know where the system appearance files are stored in Mac OS X versions that don't have SystemAppearance.bundle in System/Library/CoreServices? I'm looking to create a theme for macOS Mojave/Catalina that restores the Aqua look and I need it for that.
~Leonardo I.

[insert Uncle Sam here]
I want you to leak Windows :beta: builds!

I know they said no username changes, but I doxxed myself with my username back when I was stupid. Don't do that, kids. Please let me change my username, it's for my own good. -Leo

                                                                                                          Windows 8 Beta
For testing purposes only. Build 8176.fbl_core2_sid_dev120104-2026.6d8ec67b25e74be5

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